The pros: Trader Joe's Butternut Squash Parmigiana is a sweet, flavorful, yet well done seasonal frozen dish which has a name that doesn't quite fit.
The cons: So much squash and yet so little fiber and in fact, if you are counting calories, please look over the nutritional info. It might not be as healthy as you are hoping it would be. I still wonder who decided that there are two servings in this package. If you are looking for a savory dish, please look elsewhere. This also came out of the oven looking nothing like the picture on the box.
The verdict: Another seasonal item that returns about a year later. While not new to Trader Joe's, this has returned to the freezer section. Now, I had not seen it in the freezer last year (ok, maybe it was there and I just did not grab it), but I'm complete confused by the name on this one. I'm married to an Italian and feel that if you are calling something a "parm" that it's presumed to have red sauce on it. In fact, I did some fact checking and wikipedia complete confirms my understanding of this topic. That is not the case here.
What you are getting are basically three elements: squash, a creamy layer, and amaretti for more sweetness and crunch. So while two layers here are sweet, the dish works and works well as long as you aren't hoping for anything too savory. There is no umami from the tomatoes here.
I opted for the oven when preparing this, but I'm pretty confident it would come out mostly ok (maybe lacking the crunch from the amaretti after a go in the microwave). The squash was tender as anything. The part that made this a "parm" was more of a bechamel sauce. It was thick and cheesy, but more saucy. The amaretti cookie added a nice crunch and texture here. A surprising mix of ingredients that played really well together. I liked it and would reach for it again.
Here is the visual run down of what you get if you buy this product:
The box of Trader Joe's Butternut Squash Parmigiana:
The nutritional information:
The ingredients:
How Trader Joe's describes this and how to prepare:
Out of the package you get:
After being cooked you get:
Would I buy this again? Trader Joe's Butternut Squash Parmigiana is a yes from me. While it is on the sweeter side, it was filling, creamy, full of seasonal flavor that made me feel full. I enjoyed it and hope to find it again before it disappears.
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